The Wes Borland Biography

This bio was written by Ashley at Wes Borland Online, it's a really cool site, so go to it. K...

Wes Borland was born in Nashville, Tennessee, February 7th, 1975. He got his first guitar at the age of twelve, but originally wanted to play the drums. His parents were strict about not letting him get a set, so young Wes was forced to play the guitar.

When he was growing up, the guitar lessons offered were blues, country, and fingerpicking. Wes hated country music with a passion, so he readily chose blues. As a young kid, Wes listened to mainly Metallica, Minor Threat, Circle Jerks, Black Flag and Testament.

Wes moved to Florida with his family, because his father had received a job there as a minister. Wes's talent on the guitar began to show through as he practiced more and more. He had two teachers at the time, on specializing in rock, blues, and country, the other in classical. Wes quickly opted for the guy who "wasn't classical." Soon, Wes took jazz lessons and got them for three years at a universtity.

High school for Wes was some of the worst years of his life. He went to school at Hillsboro High School, 3812 Hillsboro Rd. Nashville, TN 298-8400. Nearly everyday he was beat up and made fun of. Kids called him "Freak" (wonder why) and nobody liked him. He spent most of his time alone or in fear of getting beat up.

Cross town rivals, Fred Durst, John Otto, and Sam Rivers, other residents of Jacksonville was starting a band. The earliest seeds of Limp Bizkit were being planted. Wes was working in a coffee shop/cafe/club as a bartender where he first heard about Limp Bizkit. "I was working at a coffee house, like, late night coffee house jazz club, type place, as a bartender, and he, (Sam)came in and was, like, (grunting and growling noises) and I was like (more growling)." Wes explains, he and Sam instantly begin to laugh. "Cause he, no, there was all this crap about bands takin crap about each other, an' he said (growling angrily)"I heard you said my band sucks!" Durst had told the other members of the band they had to have Wes, who was already in an "obnoxcious noise band" at the time. Fred got negative responses from the other members though, who didn't want an "assh*le" in their band. Fred finally convinced them to call him though, while he was in Philidelphia. Wes came to the show, still unitroduced to Fred. "If he was in town I woulda realized he was a d*ckhead immediatly." Wes says, Sam Rivers, who sits at his side promptly giggles. Wes goes on. "...And not joined the band- so good thing he was in Philidelphia!" But Fred returned to Jacksonville the night of LB's first show, and met Wes briefly before it. At this time, the guys were slated opening act for House of Pain's tour. They became close friends with Pain disc jockey, DJ Lethal. House of Pain broke up after the tour, and Lethal joined LB.

Fred met several members of KoRn one night and invited them to his house to show off his tattooing skills. Eager to make influential friends, he bonded with them. At the time, KoRn was just another unknown group, but they had a record deal. Fred passed them a demo tape, and a few weeks later they got a call from KoRn producer. "He gave me some whack ass tattoo." KoRn's Head says proudly. "On my back." He cackles with laughter. According to the other members of KoRn, the tattoo, which was supposed to be of the band's logo, looked like "Horn."

But all wasn't well. As LB were gearing up to sign a record deal, tension in the group exploded. "Yeah, we were about to sign a record deal, and everybody got all just completely at each other's throats. Fred and I, both, just not getting along at all, and I was bull headed about a lot of stuff." Wes says, during the time, Durst had kicked him out of the group. "I have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and I take speed." (he chuckles) "Legal speed. Dexidrine 10 ml spancils for it. And I quit takin em for, like, a week, and I'd never gone w/o takin em before. And I didn't know I was gonna become a baaaad, bad man."

Durst eventually got a new guitarist, but admitted it wasn't great, actually, he says, it was terrible. The group's DJ, Lethal comments on this, "It wasn't the same as the demos I heard. I was, like, man, we gotta get Wes back!" Every night, Fred called Wes, begging for him to come back. Wes, who says he had some issues to deal with, declined each time, until finally he gave in, and reunited with Limp Bizkit. "I wasn't ready to go yet. I think I had some personal issues to resolve, before I went, you know, off and became a (stutters hesitantly) r-r-rock star."

Controversy surrounded the group, when a newspaper got wind that the band's label, up an coming indie label, Flip Records, paid a local radio station to play LB's first single "Counterfeit". The band was featured in the New York TImes, but the bad press was press, so the name, Limp Bizkit got around. "Suddenly we were the worst band in the world," Fred recalls, "Well, you can kiss my ass now, though,cause it worked!" The fans were there, for the group, though. "They were there for us." Wes says, with a somewhat frightened look in his eyes. "That when we have fans calling us by name, going, "HEY WES!" and I'm like, (an even more disturbed look graces his face) did he just say Wes? That's really weird!"

Limp Bizkit released their next single, a cover of the eighties pop tune by George Michael, "Faith." MTV premiered the video, and in no time, LB exploded into world wide success. This new found fame struck hard core fans as a craven sell out. "It baffled me how mad everybody got." Wes says, creasing his forehead in surprise. "To where I'm in the internet, going to our web sites, (begins typing fingers on imaginary keyboard and growling angrily) Limp Bizkit sucks! I, I hate all of them, you were my band, you, fame, sell out, bastards!"

Wes was married to sweetheart, Heather McMilian on April 10, 1998. For a honeymoon, and he went on a trip across America to a lot different theme parks. The fans only added to the constant stress of their demanding schedule. "We went on tour for, like, two and a half years. I went home for one day, to get a few things that I would need, get my wife, and just went straight into pre-production."

"Faith" was still a happening track at the time, getting LB constant airplay, and MTV just would not stop showing the video. But, LB decided their fans needed something more. That, an added dose of hard core rap rock would be their second album, "Significant Other". Wes comments on the subject with extreme sarcasm. "Wow, you know, it's gonna be real hard to write these songs that are better than, you know, (giggles gleefully) "Counterfeit!" And we're like, what are we gonna do? And all of a sudden (snaps his fingers) BAM!"

Song writing for the new album proved to be not such an easy task. "I am so stupid when it comes ta, when it comes ta, writing...And Fred gets on my nerves like you won't believe!"

But, the band perservered. The album produced cameos by two of rock's greatest icons, KoRn's Jon Davis, and STP's Scott Weiland, not to mention one of rap's, Wu-Tang Clan's Method Man. The album proved to be a huge hit, the only group capable of putting up an even fight to pop's Backstreet Boys for the top of the Billboard charts. The BSB recently released their sophmore album, Millenium, already 2x platinum, but Limp Bizkit knocked it outta the top spot several times. A feat worthy of serious praise. The hard song writing process, for which all five members of the group contributed, turned out to be fruitful. Wes explains: "That's how much we care about what it sounds like. We're not just, (extremely voice) Hey, this is cooool, let's write a song, oh they'll love it! You know, we're like, it's not good enough! It's never good enough! And then all of a sudden, it is good enough, and we go (thoughtful look on his face) Oh, I love you, man."